Bertha Lee
Bertha Lee's parents were George and Olive Lee of Bury, and she had five brothers and three sisters.
This view of the vicarage at Bury shows where Bertha lived for several years and was the address to which many of the postcards in my collection were sent (at least between 1906-8). The people in the picture are probably the Reverend Sale and his family who employed Bertha.
Bertha kept these postcards which have therefore been preserved. As a result, she has played a role in forming a picture of the local community at that time. The texts mostly deal with news of family and friends and often mention events in the village and surroundings. The senders appear to be family members, as might be expected. The subjects are mainly Bury, with Houghton and Littlehampton also represented.
By 1911, Bertha was working for the Erskine family at Davieburn House, near Keith in Scotland but after that the sequence ends. However, various sources show that she returned to the area, as the 1921 census shows her working on the family dairy farm near Horsham. Subsequently she was married twice and, in later life, lived in Fittleworth and Surrey.
Some pictures of her from these years have been kindly provided by Stephen Steere who is her sister's grandson. Stephen remembers Bertha as being "great fun" and would be pleased to hear from any other members of the family. I am happy to pass on any details via the contact page.